Hydrocarbon disk cultivator.



W.'1':. NYM J. B. CRAM. HYDROCARBON DISK GULTIVATOR.

APPLICATION FILED NOV. 26, 1910.

1,01411899. Patented Jan. 16,1912.

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W. E. NYE & J. E. CRAM.

HYDROGARBON DISK CULTIVATOR.

APPLICATION FILED NOV. 26, 1910.

Patented Jan. 16, 1912.

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W. E. NYE & J. E. CRAM. HYDROGARBON DISK GULTIVATOR.

APPLICATION FILED NOV. 26, 1910.

Patented Jan. 16,1912.

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Patented Jan. 16, 1912;

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Illlll "UNITE STATES PATENT FFIQFQ.

WILLIAM E. NYE .AND JAMES E. CRAM, F HIGHLAND, CALIFORNIA, ASSIG'NORS0Fy ONE-THIRD T0 HARRY A, JOHNSTON, 0F REDLANDS, CALIFORNIA.

HYDROCAB-BOIN DISK CULTIVA'I'OR.

To all whom it may concern.

Be it known that we, IVILLIAM E. NYE and JAMES E. CRAM, citizens of theUnited States, residing at Highland, California, have invented a new anduseful Hydrocarbon Disk Cultivator, of which the following is aspecification.

Our object is to construct a rotary disk cultivator propelled directlyfrom a hydrocarbon engine; and our invention consists of the novelfeatures herein shown, described and claimed.

We are aware that disk cultvators may have been drawn by tractionengines but we are not aware that a self -contained lnachine has beenconstructed comprising cultivator disks mounted upon the shafts y and ahydro-carbon engine connected directly to the shafts so as to drive themachine by rotating the shafts.

In a companion application we have shown, described and claimed broadlya mechanically driven disk cultivator and we do not wish to make suchclaims in this application.

In general terms our present invention consists of a suitable cultivatorframe; culw tivator shafts mounted in the frame; cultivator disksmounted rigidly upon the shafts and a hydro-carbon gas engine mountedupon the frame and connected to the shafts so as to rotate the shafts,thereby rotating the disks and propelling the machine.

In the drawings: Figure 1 is a top plan view of ahydro-carbon-gas-disk-cultivator embodying the principles of ourinvention and taken looking in the direction indicated by the arrows 1in Figs. 2 and 3. Fig. 2 is a side elevation as seen looking in thedirection indicated by the arrows 2 in Figs. 1 and 3. Fig. 3 is a rearelevation as seen looking in the direction indicated by the arrows 3 inFigs. land 2. Fig. 4 is a vertical cross section on the lines 4-4 ofFigs. 1 and 2. Fig. 5 is a broken horizontal section on the lines 5-5 ofFigs. 2, 3 and 4.k

Fig. 6 is a vertical longitudinal sectional detail on the line 6-6 ofFig. 1. Fig. 7 is a broken horizontal section on the lines 7-7 of Figs.2 and 6. Fig. 8 is a side elevation of one of the cultivator disks. Fig.9 is a cross section on the line 9-9 of Fig. 8.

Referring to the drawings in detail: A

Specification of Letters Patent.

Application filed November 26, 1910.

Patented J an. 16, 1912. Serial No. 594,305.

hydro-carbon-gas-disk-cultivator embodying the principles of ourinvention comprises: A, a cultivator frame. B, cultivator shaftspivotally and rotatably mounted in the frame. C, toothed cultivatordisks rigidly mounted upon the shafts. D, a hydro-carbon gas enginemounted upon the4 cultivator frame and connected to the cultivatorshafts so as to rotate the shafts and drive the cultivator.

The details of the frame A are as follows: The main part of the frame isA-shaped in plan, the I-beams 1 and 2 are nearly as long as the space tobe covered by the cultivator and they are placed in parallel horizontalpositions about sixteen to twenty-four inches apart and the I-beams 3and 4-are placed on top of the ends of the I-beams 1 and 2, said I-beams3 and 4 coming nearer together at the forward ends. The I-beams 5 and 6are inserted between the forward ends of the I- beams 3 and 4 and on thesame level. The bearing-block 7 has four armsl and said bearing-block isinserted between the I-beams 3 and 4 and between the I-beams 5 and 6 andon a level therewith. The vertical bearing 8 is formed at the center ofthe bearing-block 7. The steering"wheel-turntable 9 is a disktwenty-four or thirty inches in diameter and is placed under the I-beams3, 4, 5 and 6 and has a pintle 10 extending upwardly from its centerthrough the bearing 8. Housing-plates 11 are secured to the lower facesof the Ibea1ns 3, 4, 5 and 6 and have flanges 12 extending under theedge of the turntable 9 so as to form a bearing for the turntable. Gearteeth 13 are formed upon the edge of the forward half of the turntable.A bearing 14 extends forwardly from the I-beam G; a steering-post 15 ismounted vertically in the bearing 14 and a pinion 16, upon the lower endof the steering-post 15, meshes with the teeth 13 upon the turntable. Ahand wheel 17 is fixed upon the outer end of the steering-post; so thatby manipulating the hand-wheel 17 the turntable 9 is rotated. Posts 18extend downwardly from the turntable 9, one on each4 side of the center,and axle bearings 19 are formed in the lower ends of the posts. Thesteering-wheel 2O is mounted between the posts and the axle 21 of thesteering-wheel is mounted in the bearings 19; so that by manipulatingthe hand-wheel 17 the steering-wheel is turned to guide the machine. Acentral vertical flange 22 extends from the steering-wheel into theground.

The cultivator-disk-turntables 23 and 24 are flat disks about twenty totwenty-four inches in diameter, placed under the ends of the Lbeams 1and 2 and housing-plates 25 are secured to the lower faces of theIwbeams 1 and 2 and have flanges 26 extending under the edges of theturntables 23 and 24 so as to form bearings for the turntables to rotatein. Posts 27 and 28 extend downwardly from the turntable 23 andsplit-bearings 29 and 30 are formed at the lower ends of the posts. Acentral-verticalbearing 31 extends up and down from the turntable 23.Posts 32 and 33 extend downwardly from the turntable 24 andsplit-bearings 35 and 36 are formed at the lower ends of the posts. Acentralverticalbearing 37 extends up and down from the turntable 24.

Ibeams 38 and 39 are inserted longitudinally, one on each side of thecenter, with their rear ends resting upon the I-beam 2 and their forwardends secured to the I- beam 5, on a level therewith, these I-beamsserving to supportthe hydro-carbon-gasengine mechanism. Bearing-blocks40 and 41 are inserted between the I-beams 1 and 2, on the left side ofthe longitudinal center, and similar bearing-blocks 42 and 43 areinserted between the I-beams 1 and 2 on the other side of thelongitudinal center.

The details of the cultivator shafts B are as follows: The shaft 44 hasrounded portions, one on each side of its longitudinal center andintermediate of its ends, said rounded portions being mounted in thebearings 29 and 30 and the remaining portions of the shaft being squarein cross section, with the ends screw threaded to receive the nuts 46and perforated to receive the spring cotters 47. The shaft 48 isidentical in construction with the shaft 44, said shaft 48 being mountedin the bearings 35 and 36.

The details of the cultivator disks C are as follows: Each disk has ahub 49, having a square central opening 50 to fit the shafts 44 and 48.A web 51 extends from the hub 49 and has a fiat periphery 52 whichserves as a tread to engage the ground and limit the depth to which theteeth penetrate the ground. The webs 51 are about three inches wide on atread face and six radial recesses 53 are formed on one side of each webto receive the bases of the teeth. The teeth 54 have rectangular heads55 iitting in the recesses 53 and bolts 56 secure the heads in place.The heads 55 are about one half as thick as the web 51. The cuttingportions 57 of the teeth extend outwardly from the heads 55 and arecurved and are sharpened on their outer ends and two side edges; so thatwhen seen in side elevation or in section the teeth are dishing,substantially on the same lines as an ordinary smooth edged cultivatordisk. A cultivator disk constructed in this way will cut and chop up theground better than a disk having a smooth edge and at the same time willfur nish better traction force for propelling the machine. Thecultivator disks are placed upon the shafts 44 and 48 and collars 58 areinserted between the disks where necessary to give the proper spacebetween the disks. The nuts 46 are screwed upon the ends of the shaftsand then the spring cotters 47 are inserted through the ends of theshafts to hold the nuts from unscrewing.

The details of the hydrocarbon engine mechanism are as follows: Beveledgears 59 and 60 are mounted in the shafts 44 and 48; shafts 61 and 62are mounted in the bearings 31 and 37 and beveled gears 63 and 64, uponthe lower ends of these shafts, mesh with the beveled gears 59 and 60.Large beveled gears 65 and 66 are fixed upon the upper ends of theshafts 61 and 62. Counter shafts 67 and 68 are mounted in the bearings40, 41, 42 and 43 and beveled pinions 69 and 7 O, upon these countershafts, mesh with the gears 65 and 66. Sprocket wheels 71 and 72 arefixed upon the shafts 67 and 68. The engine mechanism shown is astandard type of explosive engine and need not be described in detail.The clutch, the transmission gears and the differential gear are in pthe case 73 and the differential shaft 74, carrying the differentialgear, extends through the case 73 and has sprocket wheels 75 and 76connected to the sprocket wheels 71 and 72 by the chains 77 and 78. Thefoot lever 79 controls t-he clutch and the hand lever 8O controls thetransmission gears -to change the speed and reverse. A centrifugal pump81 is driven from the starter shaft 82 by belt and pulleys 83 and thedischarge end of the pump is connected to the water jacket by a pipe 84and the water goes out of the water jacket, through the pipe 85, to

the radiator coil 86, and the other end of the A coil is connected tothe intake end of the pump by a pipe 87. The seat 88 is mounted upon thebearing block 7 in a position convenient to the hand wheel 17. Arms 89and 90 extend inwardly from the cultivator turntables 23 and 24 and rods91 and 92 connect t-hese arms to the hand levers 93 and 94; so that bymanipulating the hand levers 93 and 94 the turntables 23 and 24 arerotated to swing the cultivator disks. The engine mechanism 95 and thetransmission case 73 aremounted upon the I-beams 38 and 39.

When it is desired to move the machine from one field to another it isimportant that means be provided for throwing the cultivator disks outof contact with the ground and the means we have provided is shown inFigs. 8 and 9. Segmental shoes 96 fit against the convex sides of theteeth,

there being preferably t-hree segments forming a circle and having treadsurfaces 97, and segmental shoes 98 {it against the concave sides of theteeth 54 and are secured to the shoes 9G, by bolts 99. It is obviousthat the shoes 96 and 98 may be placed upon any of the intermediatecult-ivator disks, the treads 97 of the wheels thus produced, eX-tending beyond the points of the cultivator teeth and running upon theground, will raise the cultivator teeth out of contact with the groundand then the machine will run along the road like an automobile.

It is obvious that the details of construction may be varied in manyways without departing from the spirit of our invention. The form ofconstruction of the cultivator disks may be varied. 'Ihe disks may beset winding upon the shafts so as to form a continuous contact with theground and prevent the jumping motion upon hard ground; the connectionbetween the power mechanism and the cultivator disks may be changed; asingle cultivator shaft may be used instead of two shafts; the mechanismfor swinging the cultivator shafts may be changed; other means may beemployed for holding the cultivator disks off the ground and there aremany other changes in form and detail which may be made as desired.

In the companion applicat-ion filed November 10th, 1910, Serial #591578for mechanically driven disk cultivator we have shown, described andclaimed broadly, a mechanically driven disk cultivator, and we do notwish to make such claims in this application.-

We claim:

1. In a disk cultivator, a frame comprising two parallel cross I-beamsmounted some distance apart, two longitudinal I-beams placed on top ofthe ends of the cross I- beams and coming nearer together at theirforward ends, a second two cross I-beams inserted between the forwardends of the longitudinal I-beams and on the same level, a bearing blockinserted between the forward ends of the longitudinal I-beams andbetween the second pair of cross I-beams and on the level therewith, avertical bearing at the center of the bearing block, a steering wheelturn table mounted under the forward ends of the longitudinal I- beamsand under the second pair of cross I- beams, a pintle extending upwardlyfrom the steering wheel turn table through said bearing, housing platessecured to the lower faces of the I-beams and having flanges extendingunder the edge of the steering wheel turn table, and a wheel forsupporting the steering wheel turn table.

2. In a disk cultivator, a frame comprising two parallel cross I-beamsmounted some distance apart, two longitudinal I-beams placed on top ofthe ends of the cross I- beams and coming nearer together at theirforward ends, a second two cross I-beams inserted between the forwardends of the longitudinal I-beams and on the same level, a bearing blockinserted between the forward ends of the longitudinal I-beams andbetween the second pair of cross I-beams and on the level therewith, avertical bearing at the center of the bearing block, a steering wheelturntable mounted under the forward ends of the longitudinal I-beams andunder the second pair of cross I-beams, a pintle extending upwardly fromthe steering wheel turntable through said bearing, housing platessecured to the lower faces of the I-beams and having flanges extendingunder the edge of the steering wheel turntable, a wheel for supportingthe steering wheel turntable, gear teeth upon the periphery of thesteering wheel turntable, a steering post rigidly mounted, and a pinionupon the steering post meshing with the teeth upon the steering wheelturntable.

3. In a disk cultivator, a frame comprising two parallel cross I-beamsmounted some distance apart, two longitudinal I-beams mounted on top ofthe ends of the cross I- beams and coming nearer together at theirforward ends, cultivator disk turntables mounted under the ends of thecross I- beams, posts extending downwardly from WILLIAM E. NYE. JAMES E.CRAM.

Witnesses HANNA MENDENHALL, CLARENCE J. WILLIAMS.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for ve cents each, by addressingthe Commissioner of Patents,

Washington, D. C.

